AROUND THE BEND
Iíve been a little creaky lately. Iím thinking Iím a little ďover the hill", but my husband thinks itís more like ďaround the bend.Ē You see, Iíve started working on 2Ē and 3Ē finished pieced blocks. My Feathered Star ruler makes cutting the tiny shapes accurately a real possibility and Iím just entranced by the scale of the tiny blocks. Iíve worked with a 1Ē scale (the finished size of the smallest pieces) before for most of my Feathered Stars. Now Iím trying half of that, a 1/2Ē scale, and having a ball.

For pieces this size, it is hard to find contemporary prints in the right design scale and weight: many have really thick threads and printed motifs spread too far apart. Actual antique prints from the late 1800s (yes, I have a collection of those, too) have proven to be the most satisfactory for the small scale work. Ultra fine sewing thread is also a must. My favorite so far is the 60 wt 100% cotton Presenscia. If you have experience with using antique prints in quilts, I would love to hear about what you have learned. For Christmas, I made ornaments of 2Ē finished Evening Stars made of antique Indigoes, double pinks and red prints.

A great way to keep track of the tiny pieces for miniature blocks is to make PORTABLE DESIGN BOARDS. These are made with pieces of foam core and leftover pieces of batting. Cut both the same size and cover the edges with tape. I used clear packing tape, but I've seen them with real fabric binding (glued.)

An old idea. I was having trouble seeing to piece my miniatures and remembered the doorstops sitting in the closet. I used to use them to tip the sewing machine so I can look directly down on the needle. Visibility is much better.